Grazing Performance

[purecountry]

I'm wondering if any of you have grassed June/July calves? Ours weighed 640lb average on the 19th of February, just before we sold them. So I figure they would have averaged 800lbs or better by the time they hit grass in mid-May. What I'm not sure of, is what kind of gains they would get, considering their age and that they grazed all winter on swaths and bales with their Mommas.

Any ideas?

 

[Stocker Steve]

The heavy calves will eat alot of grass but thier gain per day is less due to the higher body maintance requirements. It depends on genetics... but 450 to 650 pounders usually have the highest ADG. We have turned out a few green 700 to 800 pound steers. With good grass and no supplement you are looking at about 1.5 to 1.7 pounds per day. A bigger steer or average grass is more like 1 pound per day.